Rod Ceasar, Caddell senior vice president international, said in emailed comments that the volume of embassy work has risen overall. He notes that, along with the department’s construction and renovation program, Congress has increased appropriations for security at certain locations.

He said, “We do not see any decrease in the bid opportunities in FY14 and for the next few years beyond that.”

He noted that, for some years, OBO had used a standardized embassy design and design-build procurements, which allowed it to bid and award a large number of projects rapidly.

But in 2010, OBO announced an embassy design excellence program, which has been broadened to encompass other disciplines and is being reflected in its newer projects.

OBO “has been transitioning to more architecturally diverse facilities,” said Ceasar.

Design is one element of OBO’s Excellence in Diplomatic Facilities program. In a statement on OBO’s web page, Lydia Muniz, bureau director, said the initiative “is a holistic approach to OBO’s work, drawing upon expertise in many areas—project management, architecture, engineering, construction, security, urban design, landscape architecture, interior design, art, sustainability, maintenance and operations.”

Although many of the construction and renovation contracts were awarded in September, the State Dept. didn’t issue press releases on some of them until November. One possible reason for the delay was the 16-day shutdown in October of much of the federal government.